India to pitch for lasting solution for food security in WTO meet: Official

New Delhi: India will pitch for finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stock holding for food security purposes in the forthcoming meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at Geneva, starting from November 30, an official said.

The official expressed hope that "something may come" up on public stockholding and domestic support, which are part of negotiations on the agriculture sector, in the 12th ministerial conference, which is the highest decision making body of the 164-member WTO.

The four-day ministerial conference will begin from November 30.

"Now that the 12th meeting is approaching, a number of submissions are being made at the WTO for advancing negotiations in agriculture. India along with the G33 (group of nations) has been engaging in achieving a permanent solution to the public stockholding issue," the government official said.

The official added that the public stockholding (PSH) is must for India because it has a mandate, which goes back a long period of time and India will pitch for that.

Finding a permanent solution to the public food stockpile issue is linked to the survival of 800 million hungry people across the globe.

Under the global trade norms, a WTO member's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production based on the reference price of 1986-88.

Apprehending that full implementation of the food security programme may result in breach of the WTO cap, India has been seeking amendments in the formula to calculate the food

subsidy cap.